Paid volunteerism provokes testy House debate

A bill allowing state employees paid leave up to five hours a month to help foster children triggered testy exchanges Thursday with some members opposing the use of tax dollars to support volunteerism.

Some Republicans complained about the $2.3 million estimated cost – assuming that 1 percent of state employees participate.

“If you were a conservative like me, you would support this bill,” Pickett told Rep. Wayne Christian, R-Center, one of the House conservative leaders.

Last year, the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program served more than 20,000 of the 47,000 children in foster care. CASA needs more volunteers to help additional children in crisis situations.

The legislation would give state employees up to five paid hours each month to participate in mandatory training or perform volunteer services for CASA.

“Why should the state subsidize volunteerism? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Christian asked.

Pickett fired right back: “The only oxymorons we have are those who oppose this bill.”

And so it went, back and forth.

“Some of us have a problem that if we have volunteerism, it shouldn’t be on the state’s paid clock,” Christian said.

It’s unfair to taxpayers who pay state workers to do a full-day’s job, Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Houston, said.

Pickett fired back again: “We could save even more money if we didn’t care of the foster children.”

Might it be illegal for tax dollars to be used to support a non-profit organization? Riddle asked.

If so, “We could dispatch DPS troopers to arrest them on the site,” Pickett, who has fostered children in the past, answered in a testy way.

Eventually, they voted – and tentatively approved the measure – 85-56. All of the opposition votes came from Republicans.